#128) Loss Of Civility

June 30, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Well, between your ridiculously inappropriate tweets about Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough AND The Senate's ludicrous health care proposal (which is really just a tax break for the rich and hardly gives anybody actual health care) the Internet just about melted this week.  I never thought I would have to shield my kids from anything that the President of the United States had to say, but you have proved me wrong…again! 

The good news is that you're not going to get a lengthy rant from me about how your tweets are beneath the dignity of the office of President.  If you haven't figured that out by now with all the negative feedback you are getting, then there's nothing I can add.  I am intrigued by this congressional oversight committee which may have the power to declare you incapacitated (under the 25^th Amendment).  Have you heard about this yet?  It's very interesting because, of course, it has never been done before.  But you are nothing if not a trailblazer sir!  "It's never been done before" is practically your rallying cry!

At this point, weeding my garden is literally more important than following the news or writing you a letter.  So that's what I'm going to do.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#127) Jobs Report

June 28, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I just can't let this jobs thing go.  The more I learn the more disgusted I get with you and your hypocrisy and empty promises.  I'm reading less and less from the mainstream news lately because they are giving way too much attention to your tweets and personal behavior. Instead, I'm reading more and more from the financial/economic news and it's like night and day. 

For instance, this morning I read that the Boeing plant in South Carolina is cutting 200 jobs (mostly engineers).  This is the exact plant where you went in February and said, "We are going to fight for every last American job.  Jobs is one of the primary reasons I'm standing here today as your president and I will never, ever disappoint you." 

That was your rhetoric in February, but here are the facts in June:

            -Boeing South Carolina eliminating 200 jobs this month

            -Boeing California eliminating 561 jobs (across 3 factories) over the next few months           

            -GM plant in Landstown, Ohio eliminated its third shift and laid off 1,200 workers on Jan 20 

            (that was your inauguration day by the way)

            -Ivanka Trump brand shoes being manufactured in China (because cheap labor trumps 

            American idealism…profits before people, right?)

All of these lay-offs despite your promises to boost manufacturing and support the American worker are disgusting.  Hopefully soon the mainstream news outlets will get bored with your antics and realize that the real story is in the economy and they will turn their attention there.  I can't wait.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#126) Promises Broken

June 27, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I'm sorry that my letters are getting more sporadic.  Now that the good weather has arrived here in Vermont I just want to be outside biking and gardening and hiking...not sitting in front of a computer wallowing in the misery that is your presidency.  But, duty calls and I must answer.  So here's some interesting information for you to think about today.  That Carrier plant in Indianapolis that you "saved" is laying off 600 people beginning next month.  You told those workers and the entire country that those jobs were secured and "saved" by your miraculous deal making.

You also said that your "deal" would result in $16 million for Carrier to invest in the Indianapolis plant which would lead to even more job creation.  The truth of the matter is that that money is going toward automation of the factory and will lead to even fewer jobs.  So, pretty much the complete opposite of what you promised.

The cornerstone of your campaign was to stop jobs from moving to Mexico (or anywhere else outside of the United States). "They can leave from state to state, and they can negotiate good deals with the very different states and all of that.  But leaving the country is going to be very, very difficult."  Those were your words.

You know Mr. Trump, there's an old saying that aptly applies to this situation - you can't sprinkle bullshit with sugar and make it a cupcake.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

P.S.  Ford announced this week that production of its next-generation Focus is being moved out of Kentucky and will be going to one of Ford's existing plants in China.  I'd like to hear you addressing this rather than your petty complaints about the Obama administration.  You do actually have a country to run you know.

#125) Deal Or No Deal?

June 25, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Lockheed Martin just announced a contract to build 70 F-16 fighter jets for India and IN India.  This is a massive boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make In India" campaign.  Does that remind you of anyone else's campaign? How about the "Make America Great Again" campaign? Or possibly the "Buy American, Hire American" campaign?  Is this ringing any bells?

Lockheed Martin is an American company based in Maryland but they have several plants across the US.  This deal with India will take away most, if not all, of the jobs at their Fort Worth, TX plant.  This is going to hit that community very hard because these are good, high paying, high skill jobs.  Lucky India to be getting such a catch.

I see that you are meeting with Prime Minister Modi tomorrow at the White House.  How embarrassing.  You have to meet with the fox who out-foxed you at your own game.  I'm sure you will smile for the camera and try to put a positive spin on this.  Lockheed Martin already has.  They said, "F-16 production in India supports thousands of Lockheed Martin and F-16 supplier jobs in the U.S."  Only problem is the "supplier jobs" are not the high skill, high earning jobs.  Have fun explaining this to all those Texas families who are about to be un-employed; all of those Texas families who voted for you because keeping American companies IN America was the cornerstone of your campaign and they believed you.

So much for Donald Trump the Great Deal Maker.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#124) HIV/AIDS

June 24, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Last week 6 members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS resigned and you didn't bat an eyelash.  Which isn't surprising of course.  During the campaign when you were just Candidate Trump you refused to meet with HIV advocates so your position on the subject was made fairly clear.  But HIV and AIDS aren't going away and ignoring them won't make them go away.  This is a problem that needs to be dealt with.

Shortly after your inauguration the Office of National AIDS Policy website was removed.  Despite many requests for information your administration has never explained why.  The Board members who resigned say that you just don't care and I'm inclined to believe them.  But like I already said, HIV/AIDS is not going to go away.  Bill Clinton recognized this when he formed the Presidential Advisory Council in 1995.  He formed the Council because HIV is an epidemic; a fast spreading, deadly epidemic.  And he knew, as most leaders do, that any disease with the potential to kill a large percentage of the population should be addressed head-on by the government (not ignored).  Thanks to a steady influx of cash and research tremendous progress has been made in slowing down the spread of the disease as well as improving outcomes for patients. 

Currently, the United States is seen as a world leader in HIV/AIDS research and care.  This is something to be proud of because HIV is a global epidemic and germs don't really care about national borders.  But rather than capitalize on the progress we have made, your budget proposes to cut $149 million to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for HIV prevention AS WELL AS cutting $550 million to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) AIDS research program.  This is a step back that will be felt all over the world.  I hope you are prepared to live with the consequences of this.

This isn't leadership...this isn't even common sense.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#123) "1600 Daily" is a joke

June 23, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I get these email updates from you called "1600 Daily".  Ironically enough they don't arrive daily, but I won't dwell on that because I've got bigger fish to fry today.  This is what you sent me two days ago:

            "Donald J. Trump is embracing big change, bold thinking, and outsider         

            perspectives to transform government and make it work better, and at far less 

            cost.  This new spirit of innovation will make life better for all Americans by        

            modernizing critical IT systems, making government more transparent, and          

            saving tax payers up to $1 trillion dollars over the next 10 years."

You know me Mr. Trump, I'm a stickler for the truth and I just can't let this one slip by without speaking up.  I'll break it down bit by bit for you so you don't get too overwhelmed.

1.     I see no "change" or "bold thinking" although your "outsider perspective" was on display quite a bit this week.  For instance, when you were unsure about what our current relationship with Panama is, when you didn't know that your Sec. of State was endorsing a different Middle East action plan than you, when you tried to intimidate James Comey into silence by threatening to release secret recordings (which don't exist) of your conversations, when you didn't know that we had sold $12 billion worth of fighter jets to a majority Muslim nation that you said is the world's largest supporter of terrorism.  That's just a sampling of your "outsider perspective".  I guess you are so far outside that you don't really know what's going on inside.

2.     You have offered absolutely no evidence that the government is "working better and at far less cost."  In fact, the 5 separate Congressional probes into the criminal activities of your administration are costing the American tax payer a fortune, not to mention your excessive travel to your private homes.  In just the first 80 days of your presidency you spent $20 million of federal money going to Mar-A-Lago. You are, literally, the most expensive president the United States has ever had.  And you continue to spend and spend while at the same time asking the government to cut non-defense spending (non-defense spending is all the stuff that actually helps the average citizen…like food and education).

3.     Your administration has limited federal agency communications (such as the National Park Service) as well as journalist access to what should be public information (such as White House briefings) skirting dangerously close to what looks like limiting the First Amendment. You hand-pick media outlets to share information with and have actively created a hostile environment by saying that the media is "the enemy of the people."  This is NOT "making government more transparent" in ANY way.

4.     The Diet Coke button on your desk is not a "critical IT system" although it does represent a "new spirit of innovation".

5.     I would dearly love to see tax payers saving "$1 trillion dollars."  Please show me the balance sheet so that I can give credit where credit is due.  You will remember, however, that there was a $2 trillion dollar math error in your recent budget proposal so I am a little wary of your figures.

Oh well, time to get back to weeding.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

122) I Don't Like You

June 20, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Yesterday somebody asked me why I don't like you and there were so many different reasons that I couldn't even list them all.  But I soon realized that most of my concerns about you fall into two broad categories:  1) your lack of experience, and 2) your temperament.

You are the only US president ever to have absolutely no political or military experience.  I know that you are proud of this fact but it scares the heck out of me.  It was a common Republican war-cry that Barack Obama was too unseasoned for the White House (despite being a Senator for 12 years) yet now they rally behind you only because being an "outsider" appeals to a large voter demographic group.  It's like a marketing ploy that a whole segment of the population has fallen for – hook, line, and sinker.  And with the state that the world is in right now, tensions rising on the Korean peninsula, Russia meddling with the inner-workings of sovereign nations and terrorism on the rise everywhere…I would feel much more comfortable with a president who knew what he was doing.

Your temperament is best described as unstable and unpredictable.  Again, this is something that you are proud of.  You seem to not only embrace your instability, but to actively cultivate it.  Perhaps you think you can use this reputation for unpredictability to unnerve and then intimidate America’s adversaries into making concessions that they would not otherwise make.  Richard Nixon tried something similar…it didn't work then and it probably won't work now.  Read a history book.  

 

Two weeks ago as I watched your Russia-related scandals unfold I very clearly saw the impact of both your lack of experience and unstable temperament.  Your fragile psyche and thin skin exacerbated what would have been a difficult situation for any president (it was just 200x worse for you because of the way that you handled it, including your outrageous tweets) and you were unable to navigate the complex world of government regulation/oversight because you don't understand how the government even works.  It's really hard to play a game when you don't know the rules.

My feelings were summed up perfectly by John Aravosis over at Americanblog.com when he said, "A better politician, a more sane man, would have vetted his campaign staff better, and would have known better how to respond to such controversies now that they are out of the bag.  A lesser man feeds those controversies, and ultimately helps to destroy his own presidency."

Here's hoping to a swift (and safe) end to this terrifying chapter of American history.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

121) Who's On First?

June 19, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I heard quite an amazing story on the BBC while driving home from work the other night.  Apparently we sold $12 billion worth of F-15QA fighter jets to the country of Qatar during the SAME WEEK that you said, "The nation of Qatar has unfortunately been a funder of terrorism, and at a very high level.  The time has come to call on Qatar to end its funding."  You said that on Friday but the sales deal was signed on Wednesday. The letter of offer and acceptance for purchase was signed by Defense Secretary James Mattis, so he obviously knew what was going on (as did everyone at the Pentagon). I'm pretty sure that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also knew what was going on because he said, "The blockade is hindering US military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS." in an attempt to get four Gulf countries to ease their sanctions on Qatar.  Tillerson's statements were in direct opposition to yours (you will remember I addressed this in a letter to you on June 10) and made you look like an out of touch idiot (as usual).

Now I know I've said this before but it bears repeating…you clearly have no idea what the hell is going on in your own government!  As President of the United States you should be in near constant communication with the Pentagon, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense, especially if you are going to shoot your mouth off about international issues.  You should know about a $12 billion arms deal to a primarily Muslim nation.  A president should know of what he speaks, so just get briefed before making public comments.  Sheesh, it's not that complicated.

The real kicker is that this was not a sudden sale; it didn't just spring up out of nowhere.  This deal was put together a few years ago during the Obama administration and was known about by everyone – except, of course, you.  How embarrassing.  It's like not getting invited to your own party.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#120) Enough Already

June 17, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Please STOP TWEETING!!

Sincerely,
Everyone In The Entire World

#119) Why We Leak

June 16, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

The following is excerpted from an article by Kathryn Flynn called "The Practice and Politics of Leaking" (Social Alternatives, Volume 30, Number 1, 2011).  I've highlighted the important parts for you (so you don't get too confused).

     "Civic-minded people who encounter what they believe to be corrupt and illegal  
      conduct in the workplace may take it upon themselves to release relevant
      confidential information. This is done either through an open disclosure, where the 
     identity of the whistleblower is publicly known, or an unauthorized disclosure where the 
     identity of the leaker is not revealed. This information is typically leaked to 
     journalists or activists who may be able to seek redress."

Rather than continuing to rant and rail against the many leaks coming out of your administration, let's look at why the leaks are happening. Basically it's a failure of leadership (shocking, I know…you might want to sit down for this next part). 

People who choose to work for the federal government usually do it out of a sense of duty, pride and/or civic-mindedness.  These are people who love their country and their government and have a very hard time standing idly by when they witness fraud, abuse or deception from an elected official.  When that elected official then tries to evade scrutiny or obstruct justice solely to protect themselves, a staffer may feel the need to leak information to a journalist because they believe it is for the public good.  It's not so much that they hate the elected official (that's you), as that they love democracy and believe in the ideals of a democratic society.

What you and I disagree about is the meaning of "public good".  Kathryn Flynn says something is for the public good if it is "information that brings accountability and transparency to government and exposes maladministration or corruption."  I agree with that and I suspect that your staff leakers do too.  It seems to me that their allegiance is to the office of the presidency, not to you specifically.  "In a democracy people need access to information on political, social and economic issues in order to judge whether their elected officials are acting in the public interest."  So the real problem here is that you are not upholding the ideals of democracy and the honor of the presidency. 

It's most unfortunate that your staffers feel that leaking information to the press and public is their only means of rectifying your deceits, but you have no one to blame for that but yourself.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

P.S.  Don't worry – Mike Pence hiring a private attorney doesn't look fishy at all.

#118) Mueller Gets Serious

June 15, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

The Washington Post is reporting that Robert Mueller is investigating you for obstruction of justice.  You damn fool.  You've got no one to blame for this but yourself.  If you hadn't fired James Comey you wouldn't be in this mess right now, you know that don't you?  Remember a few weeks ago when I told you that one of your biggest problems is that you like to shoot your mouth off (usually about things you don't fully understand) and give no thought to consequences? Well here's another great example of that.  You are nothing if not consistent Mr. Trump.

It would appear that about 24 hours ago you made the decision to refer "all questions about the Russia investigation" to your personal attorney Marc Kasowitz.  That's probably the smartest decision you've made since the inauguration (I bet it was Jared's idea).  Although I do miss your crazy early morning tweets about all the injustices being perpetrated against you and all of the "fake news".  That Kasowitz is really going to earn his money on this one though; it can't be easy representing an idiot-in-chief who is most likely guilty of everything he is being accused of.

Now who exactly is paying for his services…you or me?  Since I'm already paying for the 5 Congressional committees that are investigating you, plus the legal team that is unsuccessfully promoting your travel ban, plus the Election Integrity Committee (which has nothing to investigate) I would really appreciate it if you could pick up the tab for Marc's services.  Let's put the personal back in personal attorney shall we.

Interesting side note to that Washington Post article:  Mueller is also "looking for evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates." How did that little gem almost fly under the radar? It should be a pretty straightforward investigation though because financial crimes usually leave a nice paper trail.  I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

Good Luck (ha ha, just kidding).

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#117) A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

June 14, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I'm feeling too disgusted to write a really meaningful letter today.  Jeff Sessions' testimony to Congress yesterday was a non-starter for me.  Just more of the same blather with no substance or resolution.  I now understand why most Americans are so apathetic about politics.  I've heard for years from people that "it doesn't matter", "they're all the same", "nothing is going to change", and I'm finally starting to believe them.

Then there is the shooting this morning of Republican members of Congress who were at baseball practice in Virginia.  I know absolutely nothing about the shooter, his mental state, or his motives...but I DO know that if we had reasonable gun control laws in this country he wouldn't have been armed and nobody would have been hurt.  How many innocent people have to be injured or killed before we take a stand against guns?

It's just not in me today to write anything good.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#116) You Are Unstable

June 13, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

It is with both fear and anger that I write to you today.  I am angry that you continue to tell bold-faced lies about things that are easily checked by public records, things that any thinking adult knows are simply not true.  For instance, at your first cabinet meeting yesterday (a few months late) you said, "Never has been there been a president...with few exceptions...who's passed more legislation, who's done more things than I have."  This is patently untrue and easily fact checked.  While you have signed numerous executive orders, those are both NOT binding, and also NOT legislation.  Your administration has passed precious little legislation and seems, at times, confused as to how it is even done. But I'm learning to live with a certain level of untruth from you as long as the government continues to function.

What struck fear in my heart, however, was when the cabinet members went around the room offering you outrageous praise such as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus who said, "We thank you for the opportunity and blessing to serve your agenda."  It would be funny if it weren't so reminiscent of dystopian novels such as George Orwell's 1984, or real-life dystopias such as Nazi Germany. I can't find any humor in that display of fawning and bootlicking.  For me it is only terrifying.  Clearly your closest aides and appointees understand and accept that they must manage your insecurities and assuage your fragile ego to maintain some semblance of order in the White House.

Unfortunately, that cabinet meeting only confirmed all of my darkest suspicions about you and your administration.  Let's see what Jeff Sessions has to say for himself at his public hearing today.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#115) More Legal Trouble

June 12, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I received a news-alert on my phone today that Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify publicly tomorrow at a Senate hearing.  Yippee.  But here's my question…is there any part of the government that is NOT tied up in investigating you?  You know, any departments that are just doing whatever it is that they're supposed to be doing?  Like, for instance, the work of the people?

When you spoke in Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago and said that you had created 1 million jobs, were you referring to all of the lawyers that are employed either defending you or investigating you?  Because there are just a TON of people tied up in dealing with your presidency in one way or another.

Just to re-cap, here's where your criminal activities currently stand:

1.  The Department of Justice has appointed a special counsel (Robert Mueller) to lead its investigation into possible collusion between your organization and Russia.

2. The House AND Senate Intelligence Committees are investigating possible collusion as well.

3.  The Senate Judiciary Committee is investigating Michael Flynn (your former National Security Chief) as well as the circumstances surrounding the firing of James Comey (former FBI Director).

4.  The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee seems to be investigating the same things (Michael Flynn and James Comey).

5.  The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously upheld the decision to block your travel ban.  This is the fourth court to do so.  How many lawyers have been involved in pushing this thing around the country?

6.  And now we have the attorneys general of BOTH Washington, D.C. and Maryland suing you because you "violated anti-corruption clauses in the Constitution by retaining ownership of your company as president."  Basically, they say that you have received millions of dollars in payments and benefits from foreign governments since you became President, which is probably true.  Now they just have to show that it's illegal.

Dear God Mr. Trump you are one shady operator. What happened to your war cry of "drain the swamp"?  Never has a presidency been mired down in such muck and filth.

The American people have had just about enough.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#114) Something Fishy

June 11, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Hey, I'm a little confused about something.  Why exactly did Jeff Sessions recuse himself from the Russian probe? 

I thought it was because he had had first hand dealings with Russian officials prior to his appointment as Attorney General.  But Sessions said it was because he had been involved in the 2016 campaign and he didn't think he should investigate anything related to the campaign.  Then when James Comey was asked about it during his testimony the other day he said, "We were also aware of facts that I can't discuss in an open setting, that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic."  That sounds rather ominous to me.  If he was really recused because of his involvement in the campaign Comey would have been able to speak openly about it.  Something fishy seems to be going on (surprise, surprise).

So what exactly are these facts that are significant enough to cause Sessions to recuse himself from a major investigation but top-secret enough that they can't be discussed in an open session?  

Inquiring minds want to know.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#113) Odd Man Out

June 10, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

This is my 113th letter to you and the themes are becoming very (almost painfully) clear.  Today's letter falls under the theme of Incompetence (surprise surprise). It's about you and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sending contradictory messages about the crisis in Qatar.

While Tillerson was urging the Gulf states to ease their blockade of Qatar because of its "humanitarian consequences" (food shortages, separation of families) as well as it's effect on the US (hurting US businesses, hampering military operations at our air base) you were out there A) supporting the blockade, and B) taking credit for it!  I'm thinking that you probably didn't know that our base in Qatar is responsible for all US military operations "from Egypt to Pakistan and north through Afghanistan and all the way to the border with Russia" and what a blockade would mean to us. 

Now it has emerged that Russia possibly planted the fake news story that led the Gulf states to sever relations with Qatar.  It wasn't because of you or your recent trip to  Riyadh.  Yet again, you are way off base and talking about things that are totally out of your depth.  But here's what concerns me more - if you aren't on the same page as your Secretary of State, just who exactly are you in sync with?  The Secretary of State should be your right-hand man...number 1 on your speed dial.  You guys should go together like peanut butter and jelly.  So what's going on? 

I know you like to be seen as the guy in charge, but over and over again you look more like the odd man out.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#112) Vindication? Really?

June 9, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I was slightly shocked when you made the announcement yesterday that Comey's testimony to Congress represented, "total and complete vindication" for you.  What?  How do you figure that?  What life raft do you think you are clinging to?  I don't see it. 

The FBI has made it very clear from the beginning that they are investigating how Russia influenced the election and the democratic process, not investigating you specifically.  Believe me, no one thinks that you are smart or savvy enough to have personally colluded with the Russians.  It's quite the opposite in fact.  We think that you are stupid enough to have been unwittingly used as a pawn in a much greater game. 

I personally don't believe that the Russians were trying to set up back door communication channels with Jared Kushner because they saw you as an exceptional  Leader (note the capital L) who should be singled out for special treatment.  I believe they saw you as clueless enough to be easily manipulated;  a means to an end or an opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

As usual, you've got the wrong end of the stick.  The scary part is that you don't even know it.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#111) Thanks for the Letter

June 8, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I received your lovely letter yesterday thanking me for my "kind letter and generous words of support."  It was also nice to hear that my "encouragement sustains you every step of the way."  Just one tiny problem sir - my letters were neither kind nor encouraging, so obviously they were also not read.  Bummer. I had hoped that someone (even if only an intern) was reading them.  Oh well.

Although the Oval Office is the greatest office in the land it is still, ultimately, just an office.  And it is office protocol 101 to sort the mail into three piles:

1.  friendly/supportive letters

2.  unfriendly/non-supportive letters, and

3.  bills

That's just how it's done.  Everyone knows that.

You know, putting some simple procedures and systems in place (such as sorting the mail into fan letters and hate mail) can really make an office run smoothly. I'd hate to see a letter from someone like Kim Jong-un mistakenly sorted. Yikes.  Get it together Mr. Trump.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#110) Refreshing? Really?

June 7, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Recently people have begun to speculate that the pressures of the presidency are affecting your mental health and well being.  They are basing this on your increasingly bizarre and disjointed tweets believing that tweeting allows them a window into your psyche.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, but when NY Rep. Chris Collins was interviewed on CNN's "New Day" this is what he had to say about it:

"You take them seriously because they are our President's thoughts. However, the nuances at the end, there will be a certain filter they go through when they become official policy.  I mean, the attorneys always either water things down or look at the various nuances.  So there is a balance.  I understand it's a very narrow road I'm talking about.  But, you know, we need to look at official statements that have been filtered for the policy but meanwhile the tweets are an unfiltered look as to how President Trump is looking at the world considering whether it's terrorism, whether it's travel, whether it's whatever it may be jobs, the economy, tax reform, health reform. I think it's frankly refreshing."

So….yeah…I'm not sure that I can really untangle that mess.  He seems as stressed and confused as you honestly.  He's probably not the guy that you want out there trying to reassure people that no matter how crazy your tweets look, you are fit for office.   And "refreshing" isn't the word that I would have chosen. I would have gone with exhausting.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#109) Bad Numbers

June 6, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

Congratulations!  You've hit another milestone in your presidency...support for your impeachment is now higher than your approval rating (36% vs. 43%).

Your polls really began to fall when you withdrew us from the Paris climate agreement.  I averaged several different polls together and got 36% total approval for you.  I could only find one poll that measured the idea of impeachment but they had it at 43%.  So that's not good.

You know, maybe if you stopped berating and belittling the Mayor of London people might think a little better of you.

Just a thought

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

#108) Fighting Radicalization

June 5, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

There's this dreadful invasive plant called Japanese knotweed that looks like bamboo and spreads like wildfire.  It's big, it grows fast, and it chokes out every living thing near it. No other plant can survive when Japanese knotweed is around.  There's a huge patch of it that straddles the fence between me and my neighbor so that half of it is on her side of the fence and the other half on mine.   Years ago, when I bought the house, I removed all of it and immediately planted orange daylilies where the knotweed once stood.  Daylilies spread fast and are very pretty.  Now when a stray knotweed pokes it's ugly head up I rip it right out and voila…I have a beautiful daylily bed.  My neighbor ignored the knotweed for years until it got so out of control that it couldn't be ignored any longer.  She hired a guy who spent an entire day chopping this stuff with a machete and hauling it away.  It was a massive undertaking.  But, alas, she did not plant something fast growing in it's place and within a week new baby knotweeds were poking through the soil and reclaiming their territory.  In fact, they came back bigger and stronger than before.

Stay with me Mr. Trump, this is where it gets complicated….because this is an analogy.  An analogy explains a thing or idea by comparing it to something else that is more familiar.  In this case, the Japanese knotweed is the radicalization of Islamic beliefs.  If these beliefs are allowed to flourish and grow they will choke out all other beliefs.  So how do you kill an idea or a belief? (Hint: not with a travel ban.)  Well, it's kind of a trick question really because you can't kill an idea.  But what you can do is slow down the spread of that idea by planting a bigger and better idea; an idea that everyone likes and that will spread faster and farther than the dangerous idea.

In this type of battle, a battle of beliefs and ideas, facts become weapons. Sure we need security forces and guns and the men and women of our armed services are doing amazing work.  But what we need more of are facts. There are Islamic clerics all over the world who are fighting terrorism and radicalization through the dissemination of truth and they need our support.  Muslims must step up and talk to other Muslims and change hearts and minds by building relationships and community.  They must stop young people from slipping through the cracks and falling into the path of terrorism. Non-Muslim religions must be in partnership with mosques and clerics who speak the truth about Islam because it's not enough to just remove the weeds, we must plant something better and stronger in their place.

John F. Kennedy said, "A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.  Ideas have endurance without death." 

In a war of ideas words matter and your words matter more than most. So now is the time use your words (and facts)to plant the seeds of the idea of brotherhood and peaceful co-existence between religions. Before it is too late.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton